1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plant cutting and transplanting apparatus for culturing a plant tissue.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art plant tissue culturing apparatuses require operations of manually cutting plants by means of razors or surgical knives to individual nodular pieces to be cultured in a clean bench or the like, and then transplanting the nodular pieces in culture ground.
Further, as an apparatus for automatically conducting the above-mentioned operations, a robot adapted to hold an edged tool such as scissors by a manipulator and cut plants into nodular pieces one by one while sensing their positions is under development stage aiming at its practical use.
In the former prior art apparatus, in case a great many nodular pieces, for example, several ten thousand pieces per day, were made by cutting plants, and then transplanted, a large number of workers were required. Whilst, in the latter prior art apparatus using the robot, in case 50,000 nodular pieces are made by cutting plants for eight hours a day, it is necessary to make and transplant one nodular piece for about 0.6 seconds. Such processing speed is difficult to be attained, and further difficulties are encountered in sterilizing the robot itself initially and maintaining a sterile condition in surrounding environment.